Syuen

A short walk along Yamate-dori from Nakameguro Station brings you to Syuen, a yakiniku restaurant where diners gather around glowing charcoal grills day and night. At lunch, the signature yakiniku set meal arrives with seasoned meat coated in a savory-sweet tare sauce, accompanied by a small salad, kimchi, assorted namul, soup, and a bite of fruit. While waiting for the meat to take on a savory char over the coals, the spread of side dishes keeps rice moving at a brisk pace. Those seeking a heartier meal can opt for larger portions of both meat and rice.

The midday menu goes well beyond grilled cuts. Syuen also prepares an array of warming Korean soups and porridges, from comforting samgyetang (ginseng chicken porridge) to robustly flavored kalbi gukbap and spicy yukgaejang soup. Even when selecting a soup or rice dish as your main, you can easily add an à la carte lunch portion of beef loin to savor tender, flame-seared slices directly from the wire mesh.

Seating includes first-floor tables and spacious tatami-matted zashiki seating on the second floor, offering a relaxed environment for family meals with small children or groups of friends. Come evening, the focal point shifts to sharing generous platters, including the Syuen Special Assortment piled with beef tenderloin steak, thick-cut premium salted tongue, and extra-special kalbi short ribs, alongside seasoned salt cuts and diverse offal selections. Paired with chilled draft beer or unpasteurized makgeolli, the natural aroma and tender doneness delivered by charcoal heat make for a memorable table.